When Elia Got Away
by A Girl Heading Nowhere
Summary: A oneshot of what would happen if Elia Martell and her children were sent to Dragonstone along with the Queen and her son. An AU.


**When Elia Got Away**

Before I begin, I wanna give a huge shout-out to Arianna Le Fay for liking my stories and encouraging me. This onset is actually an idea I shared with her before writing and my next oneshot is actually going to be something which is really her idea. So cheers to her!

 **For the sake of this story, Aegon is actually one year old and Rhaenys three when Rhaegar runs away with Lyanna.**

I.

She has been shamed. People look at her with nothing but pity. Only the King looks at her with disgust. Because Elia Martell's husband has left her for a girl-child.

She is sitting with Aegon in her chambers and Rhaenys is in her solar playing with Balerion, the cat, when Queen Rhaella pays her a visit. Elia has come to fear these visits ever since Aegon was born. "Enjoy the little time you have. Once Rhaegar becomes King, your children will belong to the crown. Especially your son." Those were the words the Queen had said when she had visited Elia after Aegon's birth.

This time, thankfully, the Queen brings good news. Kind of good news. "He wants us to leave for Dragonstone." she tells Elia. The name of the King is name taken, but Elia knows the Queen is referring to King Aerys. "Us and our children." Elia is really glad about it. Her husband left two, almost three months ago, to 'kidnap' the Stark girl and the news she has been hiding ever since should not reach the King's ears.

Elia simply nods to let the Queen mother know she heard her. After all, now-a-days Elia has become nothing more than a mute spectator of the King's growing madness. One wrong word could mean the death of her children after all.

II.

It is a week later when Elia sets sail with both her children, the Queen and Viserys, her husband's brother. A few good men, still loyal to the crown are sent with them for their protection but what surprises Elia is the fact that the moment they reach Dragonstone, she and her children are put on another ship, a Novrosi one, in secret. She asks why, questions this secret move but nobody gives her an answer until the ship sets sail. The Captain of the ship call her "Princess of Dorne" rather than of Dragonstone and also the Seven Kingdoms. This is when she realises the ship is heading to Dorne and her joy knows no bound. She and her children shall be safe in Dorne.

However, arriving in Dorne causes her more grief than joy. Her brother Doran is clever, he knows his movements are followed by certain people and so he sends his men, Dornish soldiers to take her back to Old Palace rather than sending Oberyn. However on their way they encounter Ser Arthur Dayne riding a sandsteed. Ser Arthur, a Dornish man himself, had with her husband and so seeing him in flesh and blood makes her realise that her husband and the Stark girl are in Dorne, her home Dorne.

Ser Arthur rides alone, no Kingsguard armour, to make him unrecognisable yet Elia knows her eyes are not deceiving her and the way Ser Arthur's eyes widen upon sighting her, she knows he recognises her too. A true knight, he does approach her, gets down from his ride and bends his knee because Elia Martell is a princess, of Dorne or Dragonstone.

"My Princess…", he does not say anything more and she knows he wants to ask her a lot of questions.

She wants to make him tick and so she asks a question she knows the answer to, "What are you doing here in Dorne, Ser? Shouldn't you be back at King's Landing to protect the _Targaryens_? The King and his family?"

Ser Arthur looks on uncomfortably before answering, "I am under the Prince's orders, my Princess."

"I did not know you were answerable to your Prince rather than your King. I thought you were a member of the Kingsguard and not the 'Princesguard'." She finally gets down from her own ride and sees the Kingsguard's eyes widen on looking at her stomach. She is finally showing the signs of a pregnancy.

"Are you…?" He never finishes his question but Elia still answers. "Yes, I am."

"Whose is it?" he asks and Elia is affronted at such a question, "You will do well to remember your position Ser. I am your Princess and therefore above such questioning by a knight." And then as a slight to her husband, she adds "And unlike my husband, I am loyal. Good day Ser." She knows Ser Arthur will go and report to her husband. He is his best friend after all.

III.

Doran and Oberyn finally receive news of their sister's arrival along with her children and they rush out to greet her.

Oberyn is the first and his movements still the moment he sees his sister, her stomach to be exact. He hopes it is just that Elia has gained some weight but Elia was not that kind of girl. No matter what she did, how much she ate, she was still too thin and so he knows that it is a child that is the reason behind it.

"Oberyn…" Elia calls and Oberyn decides a child can be cared for later, his sister is finally home and she is the most important right now and so he envelops her in a tight hug. The tears he sheds are matched by hers. And before long he is re-introduced to Rhaenys and Aegon while Elia goes to Doran to greet him. Oberyn takes an instant liking to Rhaenys, who looks just like Elia with purple eyes. Aegon is slightly harder to accept because he is a spitting image of his father but Oberyn remembers that Aegon is half-Elia.

Late into the night, after supper and putting the children into bed (both Elia's and Doran's), the Martell siblings sit together to talk and Oberyn remembers times of old, when they used to do this in the Water Gardens. This time it is in Doran's solar.

"Elia. Do you want to explain this?" Doran asks calmly bending his head to acknowledge Elia's belly. Expect Doran to do something like this. Comparatively older than both Elia and Oberyn, he has always been more of a fatherly figure to both of them and so he is always one to consider things, look for a proper opportunity than jump head first into events.

"What of it, Doran?" Elia asks like it is not at all a matter of concern and Oberyn loses it.

"What of it? What of it? Elia, you are with child. And unfortunately it is your husband's spawn. The husband who ran away with another girl." Oberyn shouts out before Doran warns him with a stern "Oberyn."

"Firstly brother, this child is mine too. So you will never call it a dragon spawn do you understand? And secondly, I am not a child and will not have you talk to me that way. I am the elder of the two of us Oberyn. Remember that." Elia answers calmly because King's Landing has taught her that patience and calmness are important while dealing with people.

"Does Rhaegar know?" Doran asks and Elia shrugs half-heartedly.

As Oberyn raises an eyebrow at her, she answers, "Perhaps. Most probably."

Elia sighs and speaks up, "You need to understand. This happened before he left, before all of this. And I thought I would be safer here, that this child of mine would be safer here rather than anywhere else. So let me know whether I thought right or not because if not then I will leave. I will go someplace where all my children will be safe, including this one in my belly."

"Elia. You are the daughter of Dorne. It's Princess. You shall always be safe here. You and any of your children. You have our word." Doran answers and Oberyn nods along because he knows he will die before he lets anybody harm Elia and her children.

IV.

A few days later, Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Oswell Whent and Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen show up at Old Palace. Doran is smart enough to not let either of his siblings talk to these visitors because as the ruling Prince of Dorne, he still has the power to command his younger siblings. Though judging by the dark look Oberyn gave him, Doran knew retribution was coming.

Doran does not speak out anything, does not even nod in acknowledgment because calm or not, even he cannot put up with what Rhaegar Targaryen has done to his sister.

The Crown Prince is the first to speak out, "Prince Doran, it has been too long since we met."

Rhaegar has decided to waste time with formal curtsies but Doran is not up for it. "Too long. So to what do I owe this pleasure?" He does not refer to Rhaegar as 'Prince'. He cannot bring himself to do that.

"I have come for my wife Elia and our children. To take them all home.", Rhaegar answers, giving Doran the same treatment and forgoing any titles.

" _Princess Elia Martell of Dorne_ ," Doran begins with great emphasis, "is already home and has expressed no desire to see you." He smiles politely as a facade.

Rhaegar takes in a sharp breath before continuing, this time anger coursing through him, "You must realise Doran that she is married to me and as my wife her home is in King's Landing and her place is by my side. As her husband, it is my right to see her."

"I think you do not realise where you are. In Dorne, no man can be forced upon a woman. If she has no desire to see you then she will not. To do so by force would anger me and my men, the men who are sworn to their Princess Elia. You have three Kingsguard, and out of them as well, one is from Dorne and Elia was his Princess long before you became his Prince or friend. You are outnumbered and so I would advise against the use of force, Rhaegar." This time Doran does refer to him by name and this angers Rhaegar further.

"My children. Surely you cannot separate me from my children. I wish to see them. All three of them." So Rhaegar did know of Elia's pregnancy. This would be a long negotiation, Doran realises.

V.

It takes close to a week before they all come to any form of agreement. Rhaegar has been allowed to see his family but only after answering all of Elia's questions.

"Why did you come here, Rhaegar?" she asks, the first day they are left alone.

"For you of course, Elia. You and our children." Rhaegar answers as he finally takes a seat on the bed beside her.

"You surely did not remember me or our children when you ran off with the Stark girl." Elia says bitterly. She doesn't know who she should be angry with, Rhaegar or that girl.

"I did. Elia I did all of this for us, for the kingdoms, for our future." Rhaegar begs.

"How does any of this help in our future Rhaegar? You running off with that girl is in no way helpful." Elia asks, because this a question she has been dying to ask.

"It was necessary Elia. It is not anymore. But it was. It was back then. But now you will see Elia. Once this war ends, you and me will go home with our children, all three of them, our dragonheads."

"You came for this, didn't you?" Elia asks, covering her swollen belly with both her hands.

"What? No Elia, of course not. I came for all of you. For all four of you." Rhaegar answers her.

The way he has already started talking about his three children, she fears him and his obsession with three children.

"Rhaegar, what were you doing with that Stark girl then?" she asks and prays for the truth.

"Elia, she was just. I thought she was needed for it. After all, I thought you could not have any more children. But it was all wrong. It was all a mistake. You will give us a Visenya and it will be done with. A dragon must have three heads. Rhaenys, Aegon and Visenya. My three dragons." he keeps speaking but Eli stops paying attention. A part of her fears that Rhaegar has infact inherited his father's madness.

Rhaenys comes running in to interrupt their conversation ands Elia leaves the room. She fears for her children and the Queen's words come back to her. "Your children will belong to the Crown."

VI.

Ser Gerold Hightower comes looking for Rhaegar soon enough, stating that the King has called for Rhaegar. Rhaegar leaves all the Kingsguard behind with his wife and just speaks with Doran in whispers.

He says nothing to Elia, just kisses her on the forehead before leaving.

After much coaxing, Doran tells them of the final decision made. Elia would go back to King's Landing only as the future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and not as the disgraced wife. A decision Rhaegar had suggested himself.

Due to her condition, Elia is kept away from any talk of battle, all gore and blood included. She is also never left alone, even at night when Arianne, her niece, and Rhaenys sleep in her chambers. It is done for her safety because should anything happen to her in the night, Arianne is to call for her father.

Letters regularly come from the Queen mother, who herself carries a child and Elia prays for her everyday.

VII.

It is only by complete chance that Elia discovers her husband's secret. Lyanna Stark was to give Rhaegar a daughter and then be killed. Now she has been sent all the way to Pentos because that girl failed to give Rhaegar the daughter that he wanted, a daughter that Rhaegar thought Elia would provide. Elia doesn't know whether to pray for her child to be a son or a daughter now. She had initially wanted a son because the rest Westeros was different to Dorne. A son inherited before a daughter, and it was the duty to the wife to give an heir and a spare. She had wanted to have that second son. But now she fears that should the child be a son, Rhaegar might harm the child. Targaryen madness is not easily escaped. So that day she prays to the Mother that it truly is Visenya.

A few weeks later, two good news come to Dorne along with two sad ones. The Queen Mother had given birth to a daughter and died in childbirth and Rhaegar had won the Battle at the Trident, killing Robert Baratheon but Elia's uncle, still died in that battle. The first thing she does is ask Doran to bring Rhaegar's brother and newborn sister to Dorne at the earliest.

Her Queen Mother's death is troublesome. She knows Rhaegar holds little love for his father but he was fond of his mother. And now with her dead, Rhaegar would not hesitate to dethrone his father. It has been a long time in the coming. Which would mean that should he succeed (and she knew he would), he would become King and she would be crowned a Queen. "She will return to King's Landing as a Queen… Your children will belong to the crown…" Such words begin to haunt her dreams. The only thing keeping her alive now are her children.

VIII.

Two week later, Princess Elia Martell goes to childbed. Her screams fill the chambers as Ser Arthur Dayne stands outside, sword at his side. The birth lasts the long and in between as he stands outside, he receives the news of the death of the King and his friend's victory by one of the passing servants.

Something seems amiss when late in the afternoon, one of the servants stands right in front of Arthur and actually throws a dagger his way. He is quick to dodge it but the man, clearly not a servant, lunges forward again, sword in hand this time. The Princess gives birth inside as he fights outside. Prince Oberyn has gone to Starfall while Prince Doran is too far away, taking care of Aegon as this happens.

A child's cry (the newborn Prince or Princess) is heard as he pulls his sword, red with blood, from the attacker's body. He finally breathes a sigh of relief and decides to dispose of this man after informing Doran.

That evening he receives the news that a daughter was born and Queen Elia, for her husband was crowned King as she gave birth, has named her Visenya. This makes him wonder on whether Rhaegar is riding to Dorne or will they be travelling to King's Landing for Rhaegar. Turns out it is the former.

IX.

His friend Arthur is taking to him but Rhaegar just stares ahead to where Elia is laughing with their children. Seven namedays old Rhaenys has dragged her brother Aegon, a boy of five to pretend to be a knight while Elia laughs along with Visenya as they watch along. When Rhaenys is finally 'rescued' from the tower, she bends to give her brother a kiss on the cheek but Aegon runs away to where his mother sat with Visenya and allows his mother to give him the kiss. Visenya extends her hands towards her brother and Aegon quickly takes his sister's hand and kisses it. Rhaegar lips curve into a smile involuntarily and it widens when Elia finally turns around and notices him. He approaches them, quickly kissing Elia on the cheek before taking Visenya out of her hands and into his arms.

Three years, three complete years, since the day he was the Crown Prince. And now, now he sits on the Iron Throne as Rhaegar Targaryen, the King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. While Elia sits beside him, not as a disgraced wife or the woman he left behind but as his Queen.

Eddard Stark rules the North as liege lord but the North is as distant from the Crown as Dorne would have been should Rhaegar have not taken Elia as Queen. Staines Baratheon is the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands but only in name. And somewhere, far, far away Lyanna Stark dies in the arms of Jon Connington while giving birth to a boy.

King Rhaegar Targaryen neither knows nor cares about this birth because he has his crown, his loving wife, his heir and the remaining two heads of the dragon.


End file.
